The Empire Emerges
by AnotherAnimeGuy
Summary: This story details the journey of Malana Ras, a female Twi'lek bounty hunter who lived during the emergence of The Empire. Motivated by greed, hatred, and vengeance she scours the galaxy looking for ever larger pay to quench her thirst for adventure. What she doesn't know is that in the wake of The Empire nothing will ever be the same for her or anyone else...
1. Chapter 1

The Empire Emerges

Episode III.V

By Juliano Aka: AnotherAnimeGuy

Prelude: It has been 3 months since order 66 was initiated by Chancellor Palpatine. This order decimated the ranks of the Jedi Order to less than a handful of survivors across the galaxy. However, at Darth Vader's personal request, a special group of units began searching the galaxy for any survivors of the Jedi purge. Both Vader and Emperor Palpatine knew that if any Jedi's survived the possibility for retribution against The Empire might not be as unthinkable as many thought. The Jedi we're cunning and dangerously resourceful, both were traits dangerous to the successful control of the galaxy. The hunt for Jedi took these groups across hundreds of planets but so far, none were successful. Another group that benefited from this hunt was the numerous bounty hunters who often took jobs hunting down dangerous Jedi. This period for bounty hunters was known as the "Year of the Hunt" where many big names were made through hunting Jedi & those from the Old Republic who stood against the new Empire. Names such as Boba Fett, Bossk, IG-88, and a lesser known female Twi-lek named Malana Ras (Pronounced Rahz). Our story follows her as her dream to become the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy takes her on a journey that will forever change her life...

Data Log: 1 - Deep Space

The humming noise of the engine, the white noise of deep space, & the subtle tapping of shoe on steel were sounds all to familiar for Malana Ras. It's been 2 weeks since she left her business of assisting dangerous cargo shipments on Ryloth for a more lucrative job as a freelance bounty hunter. She like many others realized that the liquidation of democracy, while seemingly disappointing, was also a blessing as new jobs were on the horizon. Everyone from Separatists to Senators who refused to go along with the tyrannical regime were to be either terrorized into submission or killed. Malana was completely indifferent to the plight of either the Jedi or those who were against the Empire. As far as she was concerned the Old Republic was no different from the Empire. New logo, same methods to force compliance. This was her outlook. While deep in thought a transmission came through to her holocron. "Fzzzzz... Miss Ras?... Are you there?" asked a voice through a scratchy hologram. "Yes. I'm here" Malana said quietly as she shined her blaster. "Hold on... Im recalibrating this junk. I can't even see you" slowly the image became clearer showed a small begin that resembled a fish with large eyes and a yellow medallion around it's neck. "You can see me, but I can't see you my dear! hehe" piped the small creature. Malana rolled here eyes as she muttered "I don't feel like being looked at today. What the hell do you want Jahka?" Jahka frowned but then began talking calmly "I know this war hasn't been kind to anyone but you of all people know what's at-" "If you don't get to the point Jahka... Next time we meet I'll kill you" Malana snapped taking her eyes off her blaster. Jahka jumped "Really. That wasn't necessary Mal Mal" "Just cutting through the crap Jahka" she said coldly shining her blaster.

"Well anyways..." Jahka said while recomposing himself "I have a job for you that you might be interested in" At this, Malana stopped shining her pistol and spoke under her breath "Go on..." The fish smiled and resumed his detailing "As you know the Jedi Order dead and gone, much to my personal displeasure, but nonetheless it has now become Imperial policy to locate and eliminate any survivors. Also, the Empire is looking to eliminate those who spoke out about the shift of government policy. Your job is simple..." Malana looked up and gave him a 'continue' look as he paused but then resumed "The Empire has located a band of what they are calling 'dissidents' making a settlement on the ice planet on Hoth... Who knows why. It's crazy" said Jahka as he shook his head. Standing up to grab a box above her Malana yelled "How many make up the settlement?" "About 15 to 18 I think" said Jahka raising his voice to speak above the clanging of metal as Malana searched for something. "Why do you ask?" queried the fish with concern. "I was hoping to get a few more of these..." She said as she opened the box to view 5 lightsabers tied together. The fish looked at her smile with sadness and said with a depressed tone "It wasn't their fault Mal Mal. Your family-" Before Jahka could finish its sentence Malana switched off the hologram. "They all deserved it... If only I had been there, I could have helped kill a few more" she said curtly to herself as she put away the lightsaber box.

"Set course for the Hoth system Dema" yelled Malana to her spaceship. A quiet female computerized voice came on in response "setting navigation course for Hoth. Estimated travel time will be 30 minutes. Hyperspace drive activating... Now" As she sat back placing her feet above the navigation equipment the stars began to turn from specks in the night to streaks of light as she and the craft sped of into the distance. While in hyperspace she decided to take the time to go to sleep. Before going to sleep, by habit, she pulled a necklace out from under her shirt. On the end of this necklace was what appeared to be a small black orb. Pulling the orb off her necklace, she opened it to reveal the inside which contained countless bright green circle pills lining its walls. The pill was tiny, almost the size of the head of the pin. "Sometimes I wonder what i'd do without you..." she said to the small pill between her fingers. Without a second hesitation she swallowed it and smiled. Slowly she began getting woozy and finally slouching back passed out in that same position... "Activating cloaking device. Initiating first level untraceable lockdown" said Demas mechanized voice as the lights in the ship turned off to where the only light that could be seen was the light from the stars streaming past that glowed on her green skin... Thus the journey begins.


	2. Chapter 2

Data Log: 2 - Hoth

As the ship draws near it's destination Malana begins to wake up from her deep slumber. She lets out a loud yawn and stretches as her eyes open to see the stars still speeding past the window. "We there yet Dema?" she yawned. As the lights slowly came back on in the cockpit the voice of Dema came on again "Approaching the Planet Hoth. Temperature below 0 degrees. Minimal signs of life. Pulling out of Hyperspace immediately." "Bout time" said Malana as she began grabbing clothes and other equipment to bring on the hunt. As the ship pulled out of hyperspace the icy blue planet that was Hoth glimmered suspended in space. "This better be worth the trip" she said as she began grabbing her snow gear and blaster prepared for the harsh weather described by Dema. One set of large winter boots, 2 sleeves for her lekku, white scarf, and mirrored goggles later she was ready to disembark. Upon entering the atmosphere it was cleared the sheer cold as the window of her cockpit began to frost and crack near the edges.

"So what's exactly out there Dema?" she asked as she put away her blasters in their sleeves. "One danger in Hoth are the Wampas native to the land. They are commonly white and feast on living flesh. One particular favorite meal is that of another native called a Tauntaun. It is highly recommended that if attempting to traverse Hoths environment you make sure to acquire one if possible." blurted Dema as the ship landed. Malana began to open the sublevel hatch to the outside. Upon leaving she looked around and realized that there were not only large bodies of ice but mountains as well which could pose a difficult problem. She then went back into the ship while whispering under her voice "Never thought i'd get a chance to use this thing" She then proceeded to open a large crate. Inside the large crate she pulled out what appeared to be a bright blue and silver jetpack. "And these too, cuz ya just never know these days" she said as she reached deeper into the crate pulling out 4 thin missile like objects, finally attaching one to the top of the jetpack she then placed and locked to her back. while she placed the other 3 on the holders behind the jetback Dema asked inquisitively "I don't remember you ever having one of these before. When did you get one?" Malana sneered "I didn't have you downloaded during my entanglement with a Mandalorian bounty I went after a few months back. Of course that was when I had another crew member" Dema asked again quietly "What was the reason for my being brought to your service then?" Malana let out a laugh and smiled "Well it helps I can't really kill you and if I do decide to destroy you I won't have to clean the mess up later. Blood isn't as easy to get off as you might think" She said as she walked back down again. "I'll radio if I need to be picked up or anything Dema. Later" "Goodluck and be careful Malana" called out Dema.

While entering the blistering cold she covered her face from the icy wind. Dusting frost off a small device she pulled out of her pockets she said "Make sure to do a quick life scan of any living beings nearby. These Wampa sound dangerous but who knows, maybe I can get a meal out of one if I get the chance" she said as she licked her teeth. The machine made a whirring sound as a small satellite disk popped out and began rotating. As the machine made a pinging noise she looked around to see nothing but bright blue skies and endless snow. Finally the machine stopped and she read the results on the screen "Possible life forms 4 miles away." She began her walk through the cold into the distance and a land of seemingly endless nothing covered by an icy coat of death. As she continues she begins to feel the freeze hit her body with a great deal of force. As she begins to light up a heat source she placed around her waist she notices a beeping noise coming from her left pocket. However, before she could react she heard a loud growl from behind her an an immense weight hit her back at what seemed like 100 mph. Knocking the wind out of her she passed out... What now?


	3. Chapter 3

Data Log: 3 - Hoth (True Colors)

As Malana began to wake up she realized she was in a large ice cave. Realizing she was on her back she tried to get up but realized her boots were held by ice to the floor. Upon hearing another roar from deep in the cave her mind began to rush thinking of more ideas of how to get herself out of her predicament. She wasn't sure what brought her here but whatever it was wasn't smart enough to remove her blasters from their holsters on either side of her hips. At first she went for them but realized the noise of the blasters going off might actually alert whatever it was out there that something was going on. It then struck her as she smiled that they had also neglected to remove her belt which held the heating apparatus. Quickly she grabbed it, turned the dial all the way to the hottest setting and threw it at her feet. As the heat instantly melted the ice she rose he heard as she started hearing footsteps approaching. Once her belt melted threw she jumped up and hide behind a large ice pilar as her captor made his appearance... It was indeed a wampa, and an ugly one at that but she looked again and saw that this one was one that had fur patterns unusual to most wampas. Her mind rushed as she thought to do the impossible and seemingly insane. As it growled and sniffed around she drew her blasters and turned a dial on both that raised the intensity of the blasts along with it's killing capability. If all goes well this idea could pull in some much needed additional cash.  
As the wampa turned it's back Malana used the opportunity to sneak closer behind the beast and threw an empty cartridge towards an area of the cave the wampa wasn't looking. The instant the shell hit ice the wampa shifted it's gaze towards the sounds direction. "Pathetic" she thought to herself as she ran up to the opposite side of the beast. With a deep breath she lifted her leg and push down with all her strength on the wampas exposed leg. As it made contact a deafening crack of bone breaking echoed following the scream of the wampa as it fell down writhing in pain. Using this opportunity to take control she aimed her blaster at its other leg and blew out it's kneecap. Then she proceeded to firing a volley of shots through it's shoulders as it lay screaming in pain. Finally once she had managed to severe all limbs from it's body she leaned in and aimed both blaster in it's face. However before she could fire it suddenly moved forward and clamped it's mouth down on both blaster barrels. However all that happened was that it realized the guns were undamaged, not even dented. With a confused and scared look on it's face it looked towards Malana's grinning face as she curtly said "Tsk tsk too bad honey" and then proceeded to pull both trigger at the same time. With the blaster shot blowing away the wampas face the cave was covered in fur and shiny dark blood. Taking her finger and licking the blood off her face she put her blasters away and continued looking around for more. quickly she found her jetpack and other materials taken off her once she was captured. She locked the jetpack back on and continued to a larger room in the cave where she noticed that there were other smaller caves around. She cautiously walked around looking for a way out and noticed a small mass of shivering fur in one of the caves. Upon walking closer she realized it was an infant and it's sibling. They were shivering, cowering, and crying as she approached but before she could feel too bad for them she put one and two together "Ahhhhh so that must have been your mom huh?" she said gently.  
She got down on one knee and motioned for them to come over "Hey little guy, I'm sorry about that. I really didn't want to do that to your mama. But sadly she was gonna eat me and probably feed me to you too. And I just can't have that right now." she said sweetly as they moved closer towards her. When they finally got to her she realized that they both had the same markings as their mother. A rare breed indeed. As the smallest one got close enough she stretched out her arm as to hold it and the second it closed it's eyes a scream rang out as the infant realized that a large knife was driven through her throat. The sibling screamed and ran as the other became motionless. "I don't need your heads..." Malana yelled as she shot out a grappling cable that captured and drew in the other. "I only need the skin darling" she said as she pulled the knife out the one and began removing its head from it's body. As the wind grew harsher the screams of the infant could be heard throughout the cave until a loud thug and what sounded like choking and gargling... Eventually no sounds were heard from within the cave. Just cutting... And the occasional sound of something being eaten.


	4. Chapter 4

Data Log: 4 - Hoth (Hostile Encounters)

Making her way out of the cave with a bag full of clean wampa skins she places them into a case then pulls out a medium sized cube out of her leg pouch. "Z-34 Come out. Gotta a job for you" she said to the cube. As she finished speaking the cube shook and began disassembling and reassembling into a small droid "Here" Malana said as she held the case towards the robot. "Bring this back to the ship. Make a log. And then start searching for buyers. Sadly I could only get 2 but it might have been worth it" she told the robot as she began plugging in coordinates. The droid said "Got it ma'am" as it grabbed the heavy case with ease and soared along into the distance. As she watched it go away she started to look around again. This time in a different context. Despite being a barren, desolate, and frigid place, Hoth was actually kind of beautiful in it's own twisted way. However this was no time to just take in the scene. She had a job to do and get it over with as soon as possible. She began walking through the soft snow. She realized that the light snowstorm from earlier had finally disappeared and things we're much clearer now.

For hours she continued walking and stopping. At each point she did another life form search with her equipment. Another 2 hours went by till finally she caught a break and heard a large humming sound from the opposite way. She turned her head to see an approaching ship coming in from the distance. Before it got too close she dove for cover behind a large ice mound. As the ship passed over her head she grabbed her binoculars. Adjusting the image for ship size and weight she realized it was a freighter used for transporting goods. As it moved slower towards the north she aimed a long silver pole at it's hull. She squinted then fire a small circular object which stuck into place by putty and activated. "Track the ships coordinates immediately and relay the information back" she said to her com link and she began to get up and walk towards the ships direction. She looked at her watch which projected a hologram map that detailed the terrain and a red dot that followed the trackers location. "This one was easier than I thought it would be" she said to herself as she turned it off and began walking.

A few minutes later she came upon what appeared to be a base in the middle of the ice. The ship docked and people in heavy winter clothes began pouring out and moving in crates. It was clear these were the people who were to be captured or at least questioned. Still untrusting she unclipped her blasters in case she would need them as she slowly inched closer and closer to the base. It was a pyramid like structure but without the pointy top. The sides were a dark metallic color with white streaks across it looking like something had been dragged across. She waited and observed patiently as more people came out and continued to load shipments in. One thing she noticed is that each would wake up to the blast doors and hold a key card to a small circle near the door which would then open. The trick now was finding a way in without being noticed. Much to Malanas luck a straggler stayed outside for a moment for what appeared to be a call. This might be her only chance to get inside and get this bounty handled so she began moving closer. While the person stayed on the side of the base she slowly and quietly approached from the back, being careful not to slip on the ice. As soon as she got close enough she realized who it was had been conducting a meeting via a hologram. The plan was to ambush him while he was distracted but seeing as there were no others around she went for the quick approach. Before the person could turn around Malana firmly placed her hand over her mouth than took her blade and pierced it through her back. Through the muffled scream she gripped the knife harder and proceeded to cut through the spinal chord and out the left side. The body went limp and covered the snow with blood. Malana then grabbed the body and pulled it back to look through it's content. To her great pleasure she found one of the those cards used to open the door to the base. Leaving the body back and covering it as best she could with snow she proceeded to walk towards the base. Still no one was there, but just in case, she drew her blasters and proceeded to use the key. The door instantly opened and she removed her goggles as to see clearer. But there was nothing, just silence and the sound of water dripping. No signs of life but the nanosecond she walked into the base a laser shot whizzed centimeters passed her left lekku.

"Ahhhhh hehe. So that's how it gonna be" she chuckled as more shots rang out in her direction. Instinctually she activated her jetpack upwards to take flight in the large building. Once in mid air she saw her attacked ahead of her with what appeared to be a sniper rifle "Oh no you don't" she yelled as the person who was in a long dark coat made an attempt to run. The cable wrapped around the sniper and as it retracted Malana used her strength to throw the sniper head first into the concrete below. With a large crack and splash the snipers skull shattered on impact as she flew back down landing on top of the now dead.

"FREEZE RAS!" yelled a womans from behind her. She turned to look and saw a once abandoned floor now filled with no less than 30-40 fighters, 2 laser cannons, and all with weapons drawn on her. "And here I thought you guys were just stowaways" said Malana with a tone of disbelief. The woman who yelled began to walk towards her. She was very beautiful herself. She had dark tattoos across her face like long streaks, bright blue eyes, and silver hair. "You're finished Malana Ras" she said with a defiant attitude as she pointed her blaster down. Malana laughed "Haha you don't know how many time's iv'e heard that one before kid" she responded coldly. The woman began speaking again "Everything you see here was a trap to lure you in. I believe you remember the incident you caused at the cantina in Mos Isley?" Malana looked confused but then remembered "Ah yes. But they had it coming to them. Trust me kid" The woman then resumed talking "You killed everyone there. The customers, the owner, his daughter, and the droids. To make matters worse you bombed it into dust. That didn't sit well with the Hutts" The woman said shaking her head. "How'd they even know it was me?" asked Malana calmly as she put away her blasters. "That jetpack..." she said pointing at it "It belonged to Jango Fetts son Boba Fett. You crushed his arm and left him for dead beneath the rubble while making your escape. Sloppy work Ras" Malana raised her hands in a 'well what can ya do' fashion then responded "I should have cut off the little brats head like his daddy" The group around her moved in closer. It was clear she was surrounded and attempting to get out would be suicide.

"Well Ras..." the woman said taking a deep sigh "You got two options. We can either kill you now, disintegrate your body, and blow up your ship... Or you can work off your debt to the Hutts as an attendant-" she then smiled wickedly before finishing her sentence "and personal slave to the Hutt clan" The options for Malana weren't looking too good but at least she could still survive if she managed to make it work. "Fine" Malana said relaxed as she undid her utility belt. "I'm yours" she said as she threw her belt with the blasters on the floor. The woman smiled and then coldly responded "Excellent... Next stop, Tattooine." As they began cuffing her the woman whispered in her ear "You're going to wish we'd killed you after we do everything we want to you and that lovely body of yours". She then ran her hands down her back and gripped her ass with a tight squeeze. Malana laughed and looked her straight in the eyes "I hope you enjoyed that, because the next time I get free i'm skinning you alive and throwing you into barrel of alcohol" As the woman smiled they began moving. How on everything was she going to get out of this. Even Malana had no clue, but little to her knowledge help was not far off and help she never would have even imagined...


	5. Chapter 5

Data Log: 5 - Tattooine (Sand & Hell)

"We'll this is a dump" Malana said jokingly as the cargo bay opened to see the never ending trail of sand. "This is like an Anti-Hoth" she said again to the silent treatment of her captors. "You're going to need this..." She held a small package containing an extremely erotic dancing outfit. Malana shrugged as she went to grab it "You're once sick bitch" she said under her breathe as she passed her captor into a closed room. She could never get over the horrid smell of the ship's cargo hold. The smell was akin to that of rotten flesh and dried blood, mixed with a sharp smell of body sweat. The small room she entered only severed to enhance these smells. But all the same she undressed and put on the outfit. Other than being on of the most perverse and degrading outfits she'd ever layed her eyes on, it fit well. It was a see through pattern that hugged her hips and accentuated her curves. This outfit left little to the imagination on the chest or between the legs. She ripped a part of her shirt and used it to wrap around her waist to maintain some form of modesty. "I hope you happy..." Malana said to the woman coldly. The woman walked up behind her and whispered "I can't wait to wear you out till you die screaming... You whore" As she said this she licked the side of her neck while moving a finger slowly between her thighs. Malana grabbed her wrist before it got too close "Don't get cocky bitch" she said, and with that she broke the woman's wrist. The woman let out a loud yell and the guards around her all placed the barrels of their guns to her head "No!... No... Don't shoot..." the woman said panting as she tried to move her now limp hand. "Put a restraining collar on her. Now!" The guards moved forward and placed a silver necklace around Malana. At first Malana was surprised as this necklace was quite beautiful but at the same time she knew that it's purpose must have some kind of sick motive. "It's an inhibitor necklace" the woman explained "If you do anything or say anything me or the Hutts find disagreeable than once activated 80 small needles will insert themselves inside you and inject you with Kardakin Venom... You'll literally melt from the inside out for over 8 hours" Malana seemingly unfazed just giggled and kept walking.

The desert heat was unbearable but before she knew it they reached the Hutts grand palace. It was a dark tan color and it's roofs looked like dinner plates. Still it was huge. Most likely something close to 9-12 stories tall. Surrounded by guards Malana realized her escape might actually be difficult. "Slave deposit" Yelled the woman into a intercom speaker. Suddenly a holographic image of a Twi-lek man appeared. "Ahhhhhhhh Mistress Taza! How good to see you! A fine specimen you've found too! Come in. Come in" The boiling urge to kill the grotesque being hit so hard that Malana didn't realize she was gripping her hands so hard that her nails cut into her hands and started to bleed. Without any warning a strong punch struck Malana's face knocking her to the ground. "How dare you bleed without permission! How dare you think without permission" Taza screamed as she continued to strike Malana in her face. Unable to fight back due to the restraining cuffs all she could do was take each blow. A voice bellowed out from the building as the door opened! "Stop this foolishness right now!" Taza looked up and for the first time since they met Taza looked genuinely frightened. "Master... I was just... Trying to teach her a les-" before she could finish her sentence the cloaked figure drew a blaster and shot a hole right between Taza's eyes. "I told you not to damage merchandise... Dumb whore" he snarled as he stepped over Taza's now lifeless body. Spitting on her face he looked up and told the crew "Throw this garage to the sarlacc" while pointing to a large pit in the distance. Helping her up this cloaked figure became clear. It was a Trandoshan male with black eyes and black scales. Lifting up Malana's whole body with two claws he snarled and spoke "Can't sssss have and any ssss damaged property" she admired the beats strength and brutality but also made a note that this one might be tough to kill. "I wanted to skin her" Malana said to the Trandoshan. He responded "sssss Everyone ssss wanted to kill that one". Then as they walked ahead the door closed slowly as they walked down a long corridor.

First thing she noticed was how clean it was and how dim the lights were. There were countless artifacts among the artifacts on walls. she noticed wookie skins, Clone army helmets, and even the Jedi emblem on a piece of broken metal seemingly from a ship. All she could think of was how much money she could make with these artifacts in the right hand to certain collectors. "Can I get your name good sir" asked Malana flirtatiously with her new Trandoshan keeper. "Sssss names Tenrossk" he said quietly. Malana raised her head "Your the older brother of Bossk the bounty hunter right?" she said excitedly. Tenrossk nodded and Malana continued "I almost killed him twice... Second time that fool Boba interfered" The reaction she hoped to arise did not occur. "Try harder ssss next time" he responded. "Were here" he said opening the great doors. As the doors slowly opened a light from inside lit up the whole hall. As they walked forward a long desk where 8 Hutts sat came into view. "Wanna tagen mutu kufadensken!" said the fattest one in the middle. A silver protocol droid appeared and began translating "The great and wise Seta The Hutt wishes to extend his welcome to their new entertainment" Malana pulled off a very fake smile and then went back to looking disgusted. "Damme safken terrnosepao" said Seta. The droid translated "The great Seta wishes to ask what the young Malana Ras wished to say" She was too preoccupied looking around. All she could see were guards and masked men looking up and down her body with hunger in their eyes. "Tell them fuck off, and if anyone tries anything i'll cut off their-" The Hutts clearly understood some of what she said as they all began yelling in their language at each other. Seta then spoke "Wooshi Wouna Wame Benga" the protocol droid moved closer and began to speak "The great Seta asks if you wish to serve or you wish to die. She will overlook this transgression of words if apologies are in order" Malana looked up at the hutt and squinted "Tell the fat fuck to lose some weight" Malana snapped as she looked away. "Wata Karadana kish du patta do sama butae" The droid spoke again "The great Seta says you are fooling no one... We know who you are. You aren't some lowely Twi'lek slave. You are a relative of Cham Syndulla. The great revolutionary of Ryloth." Malana looked down and then looked up again "Fuck them. Their memories are as dead as my peoples future... You overweight slugs" she said sternly to the hutts. This time it was clear it was too much and Seta yelled and pointed "eema dooga!" As he said these words the floor beneath her opened up and she was pushed in... The next thing she heard was a loud growl and two glowing eyes in the darkness ahead of where she lay...


	6. Chapter 6

Data Log: 5 - Tatooine (Stranger Company)

Upon falling into the basement, Malana looked around and quickly noticed that there were bones everywhere. Bones from every walk of life. Her attention was then seized by the heavy breathing sound of a towering figure ahead of her. "It's a Rancor" said a calm voice behind her. Malana almost jumped out of her skin and had to catch her breath as she turned around. It was a cloaked man with light brown eyes, black hair with white streaks, and in a relaxed policy. "Who the fu-" Before she could finish her demand the rancor let out a yell as it started walking closer reaching out it's hand. It was insane. This monster was going to eat them both alive, people above were cheering, and the Hutts were busy toasting to their success and this man didn't bat an eye. It was as if nothing was happening. All Malana could do was to stare at this man who appeared to have no care in the world about anything. "I can save you if you'd like..." he said as he started looking at rocks in the ground, picking one up and then putting it down when he found one he liked. "Sure sure sure! Whatever you want just kill this goddamn thing!" yelled Malana desperately. 'But wait... How did he even get here? Has he been here the whole time?' she thought to herself. "You gotta do something for me though" said the man as he yawned and smiled. It was clear to Malana what he wanted but at the moment she couldn't care less but still asked "What do you waaaaaaaaant?" she whined. "Marry me" he said calmly. Malana stopped thinking. She stopped even moving and just collapsed. "What...What did you say?" she said in disbelief. "Marry me" he said again more clearly. Suddenly panic was replaced by anger "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN MARRY YOU? I NEVER EVEN MET YOU AND THIS ISN'T EXACTLY THE BEST TIME TO ASK THAT RIGHT NOW YOU IDIOT" she yelled as she grabbed him by his collar and shook him. Suddenly she felt a warm wet liquid pass over her left lekku and down her back. "Well?" he said grinning. "Ok..." she said in a frightened squeaky voice using every once of her strength not to look behind her. "Great!" the man said as he stood up and walked toward the monster. Before he passed he said "I love you Malana Ras..." then he walked up to the monster.

Following the man with her eyes she realized that the rancor was only feet away from them. She had gotten so distracted by the mans proposal that she forgot where she was. To her horror and amazement she watched as the man walked right up to the beast. "Hello there friend" he said sweetly to the beast. To this act of defiance the rancor learned down to face him eye to eye and let out a bellowing roar showing off it's many teeth and throwing dripping saliva everywhere including the man himself. Still unfazed the man reached into his pocket and grabbed a cloth and with a "Not in a good mood today huh?" he wiped the saliva off his face. Just when things couldn't get weirder the rancor grabbed the man and proceeded to move him towards his mouth. "You idiot!" she screamed "Serves you right you moron! If I had a blaster right now I'd kill you myself! I swear i've never seen someo-" he ranting was stopped by what he said next "Be quiet and don't move!" he yelled in a different tone of voice this time. It wasn't the joking and funny tone from before. It was strong and powerful. She could literally feel the strength and defiance leave her body as she just dropped to her knees and watched. As the monster moved him closer he said quietly "put me down..." and as his head was inches from the rancors mouth he yelled again "NOW!" Something about this voice traveled not just through the room but through Malana's very soul. She felt an instant surge of energy come from the man so much so that it actually made her sweat and shiver. 'What the hell is this guy?' she thought as to her amazement, the rancor stopped growling and began to put him back down on the ground. It was clear she wasn't imagining it as even the crowd above stopped cheering. Everyone went still at the power of this man's voice. It was like a continuous echo that spoke to the inner core of one's being. It made one wish to submit no matter how rebellious or bloodthirsty it was. Even Malana's normally crazy spirit was dimmed and put out. There was no strength in her body. It was as if by his words alone he took her soul.

After relishing in the moment she realized what had happened. Foolishly she stood up and began to say "Well that's a nice tri-" no sooner did she move 1 inch that the rancor snapped out of it's face and began howling again. "You fool!" screamed the man as he ran in front of her. "I told you to not move you idiot!" It was clear that this time she ruined it all. She was gonna die along with this crazy man. She looked again at him as his surprise and anger turned to serenity again. Making a face that almost appeared depressed he said to himself "Oh well... Guess it can't be helped." He then started running towards the creature. "What the hell do you think your doi-" before she could finish her sentence he jumped at least 4 feet above the creatures head and then positioned his foot heel first downwards straight on top of the monsters head. A thick cracking sound echoed through the room as the monsters head continued making cracking sounds. The rancors eyes had gone white and before she could think it coughed out what appeared to be gallons of blood and bones from it's mouth as it came straight down to the ground. Unbothered the man jumped down off the rancors now split and open skull towards Malana. "That better?" he said flirtatiously. She couldn't even find words to describe what the man had just done. He killed a fully grown rancor with nothing more than a kick. How was it possible? It's common knowledge that rancors have hids that can withstand blaster shots so how on everything was this man able to kill it with his body? None of it made any sense... Snapping out of this dreamlike state of uncertainty she quickly remembered where she was. That was it. They were dead as dead came. They just killed the Hutts favorite pet and now a much more gruesome fate awaited them she was sure. There was no way they were getting away with this... As her focus got better she could hear the yells and angry voices above calling for their heads. "My love" said the man as he knelt down in front of her "I'll be right back. Shouldn't take me 5 minutes" he said as he kissed her on the forehead.

She couldn't even complain. She didn't have the strength. She was still reeling from the scene she just witnessed. A man who couldn't be anymore than 180 lbs took on a full grown rancor, tamed it, and then killed it with a simple kick... As he walked towards the door nearby he looked back at her and said "Just stay right here sweetheart" then smiled at her still gawking and surprised face. As he began walking up the stairs all she could hear among the many different languages was the same "get him!" tone coming from the guards coming down to kill them. As quickly as she heard them she started hearing screams. Terrified screams as she constantly heard thuds and sounds of blasters going off. about 4 minutes later there was total silence. A deafening and frightening silence... Just who was this monster and what does he want with her. There was no point in even trying to escape while he did what he was doing. But as soon as she thought that he saw him emerge form behind the door. "Hey you!" he said cheerfully. "We're clear now. Lets go." Again she could not turn away. She was totally at a loss for words. No sooner did she start speaking that he lifted her off her feet and began carrying her. His hands were strange. They were strong but gentle. She could tell that this wasn't an ordinary person. "T-thank you" she faintly said as she was carried off by the strange man. "Don't mention it my love" he said looking at her smiling. There it was. He touched a nerve. She immediately went right back into her angry disposition "What the fuck WAS THAT? YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN US ALL KILLED YOU MORON! HAS ANYONE TOLD YOU HOW STUPID AND MINDLESS YOU ARE TAKING ON A RANCOR LIKE THAT WE COULD HAVE ALL BEEN-" mid rant she winced in pain as the brusies to her face from her captors and the scrapes on her back from the fall into the basement made themselves apparent. "We're gonna need to take care of that" he said with a calm voice. Again, the strangest thing happened. Malana couldn't muster the strength to say anything in protest so she jsut nodded as she clutched her left arm that she fell on.

As they moved up the stairs she started noticing the things that took place all over. There were blaster holes and large pieces of the building blown off and crumbling. The next thing she saw were countless bodies spread all over the palace including the bodies of 4 of the Hutts who had stayed. To her amazement the bodies were all still moving. Groaning and moaning they fell every time they tried to stand "What did you-" she started asking "I gave them all lobotomies. They'll never cause anyone trouble again." he said jokingly. Another feeling long forgotten by Malana came rushing back to her. Fear. There was something about this man she was deafly afraid of. He was able to not only subdue close to 60 armed guards and soldiers. He managed to render them incapable of fighting for the rest of their miserable lives. Instead of killing them as she would have done he bestowed on them a fate worse than death. Nothingness. As her carried her off into the desert sunset, the two suns in the distance made for a beautiful scene as she slowly passed out. From the pain, the fear, the excitement, the surprise, and the sheer volume of insanity that occurred. Now it was time for some much needed rest. Before she passed out she asked "What's your name?" She could see he was answering but her hearing had gone too and all she saw was his lips moving and his kind face smiling...


	7. Chapter 7

Data Log: 7 - Tatooine (Desert Rats & Droids)

As she slowly began to gain consciousness she began to hear voices. "What the hells a matter with you bringing this twi'lek woman on board?" said a growling voice. "We'll we all know how much Twi'lek women catch his eye. she is beautiful after all. Even the pattern on her lekku is exquisite" suddenly she felt a smooth touch as if someone was stroking her right lekku. Without thinking and as if by instinct her hand grabbed the hand and squeezed as tight as possible. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh let me GOOOO!" yelled a small voice. Still unable to see completely she could visualize large blurred figures around her. All at once they began laughing. Then someone opened the door and walked closer. She didn't know why but she could sense that this person was the same one who saved her. She gently let go of the small arm and the creature backed away shouting at the man "She's insane! The hell's wrong with you Marphelo!?" 'Marphelo' that must be his name she thought."Give it a minute dear" he said calmly. "Drink this..." he said as the blurred figure held a cup to her mouth. She drank and the moment it touched her lips, her sight, smell, hearing, and all other senses began to return along with a sharp pain. She gasped with pain as she began to sit up. Looking up again she saw 4 figures behind Marphelo. A Wookie, a Human, a Geonotian, and what looked like a protocol droid that had been modified and with a rifle on it's back.

The wookie had light brown fur and a blaster bow along with a sash around it's chest which appeared to have tick marks on them. From what little she knew about Wookies she knew in their culture they usually marked themselves or an object based on the number of kills and this Wookie had a lot. It's eyes however were a bright blue. Never seen or heard of in the history of the Wookies she knew. The human was a averaged sized human woman with a large black tattoo across her face. It went from ear to ear to where it looked like a mask over her eyes. But the eyes. Her eyes were a constellation of colors. As if her eyes themselves had a star cluster inside. She carried a large sniper rifle on her back and had a face of someone with a history. It was stern and unmerciful. Another thing noticed was this peculiar wooden necklace she wore. It was comprised of small squares which had gibberish written on them. The Geonotian was small but wore a large backpack, had on a helmet and a look of kindness. She could tell immediately that the thing on his back was a medical supply pack. The protocol droid while resembling most appeared to have had extensive additions and modifications. While most protocol droids moved fairly rigidly, this one's movement as it sat down and tapped it's feet on the floor was extremely agile. "We should just kill her" said the droid coldly as it looked at her. With this sudden change of feeling she immediatly moved to grab her blasters but they weren't there. "Looking for these i'm guessing" said the human as she held up Malana's belt. "Those are-" Malana began saying until the woman cut her off "You know your husband went to a lot of trouble to make sure we didn't kill you. I almost went ahead and did it anyways but looking at you now it would have been a shameful waste" she snapped as she gave Marphelo a piercing look. "Cmonnnnn Chara. Cut me a little slack here" he said with an annoyed voice. "I don't like her" Chara began ranting pointing towards Malana "Her whole species are deceitful and lowlife slave scum who would turn anyone in for a handful of credits!" Normally Malana was used to the negative view's of Twi'leks throughout the galaxy but something about the way she said it struck a nerve. "If I wasn't so badly injured..." Malana said looking up at her piercing gaze "I'd put that blaster down your throat and keep firing till there was nothing left to fire through" Everyone in the crew started laughing "Wroaaah arrr waaawaaa" laughed the Wookie patting Chara on the shoulder. "Hmmmmm *click* Tatao is *click* right. Mmmmmm Let em *click* have a moment" said the Geonotian.

"Don't get your wings clipped again Mazan" Chara said coldly as she walked out the room. As everyone left the room Chara turned around before leaving "These belong to you" she sneared throwing Malana's blasters and belt in her lap. "If I see so much as a finger go 1 millimeter towards them, your head and bones are mine" she said clenching her fists. Finally she left the room. Upon everyone leaving she realized how cramped it was. It was a bright white room with the black mattresses providing the only color. "Sorry about the crew" said Marphelo apologetically while scratching his head. "They're a little difficult at times but they mean well. Chara especially. You'll never meet someone more dedicated to protecting those she cares about. She just got a thing about Twi'leks. Toydarians too. I don't why. She still hasn't opened up about it much" While he talked Malana was thinking every way possible as to how to kill everyone and get off wherever she is. "Don't bother" Marphelo said as he raised her head with his hand. "You'd need another 2,000 years training to beat me and Chara... She could kill all of us if she wanted to but she has more important things in mind." Malana couldn't explain it. Her mind was screaming 'Grab the blasters now you fool!' but her body didn't do it. Her hands didn't even move. What was wrong with her? She never hesitated killing before. She would kill whole families and burn villages to the ground but against this man and his crew she couldn't even speak with a defiant tone. It was as if their presence could be physically felt. Especially Chara and Marphelo. "So what are you guys?" She asked leaning back. Marphleo leaned back as well, looked up and began speaking "Well, to some people we're just theives and smugglers. A couple of us have a lot of blood on their hands. But now with the advent of this new so called Empire... I'd like to think our ideology has begun to switch. We are now becoming an alliance. Against all that the Empire has done." he said defiantly. "So then you're just another group of Old Republic schemers who are looking to sit on their thrones again" Malana said looking down. "No..." He said calmly "I have no love for the Old Republic or it's methods... Just thinking of the things done in it's name to maintain control makes me sick. If there is to be something new it must be something different. A vessel for peace not war. Democracy has failed us then tyranny will fail us now. We must find another way.

"It had been a long time since Malana heard someone talk like this... It brought back many feelings she had once thought destroyed. Including hope, belief, and pride. "So you aren't part of the new rebellion?" she asked him this time looking into his eyes to see his reaction. Looking back he said "No. They want a return to the Old Republics form of democracy that got us into this mess in the first place... Besides" before making his final statement he said "- their methods of obtaining victory are no different than the Empire. They lie, manipulate, and place the very people they intend to rescue at risk. The Imperials are traitors to the Republic... But the rebels are traitors to morality itself." Malana sighed and looked through a small window near her. All she could see was desert stretching into eternity. "What ship is this?" she said looking out the window. "It's model number is GTR-9928... But you can just call it The Voyager" He then sat back down beside Malana. Rummaging through a bag on his side he pulled out a wooden art piece. "I'm sorry... This was all I was able to salvage from the ship before they destroyed it" He said as he held it in front of her. She instantly recognized it. It was her families Kalikori. It was a prized heirloom passed down by her people where each generation would make a mark detailing the family history. Malana thought she had either lost or destroyed it but there it was. "Where did you find this?" she said somberly. Marphelo spoke quietly "It was underneath the cockpit, and lodged between wires and cables. It looked like it had been there for awhile. To be honest... I'm surprised it hadn't been damaged of anything. I mean it was right next to wires and-" he stopped before he could finish as he noticed a tear fall from her face. Malana had for years tried holding in the emotions of loss and everything that had plagued and haunted her entire existence but something in her felt safe now. As if now she could release. Let go. Express the anger, hatred, pain, and sorrow she felt. She couldn't explain it. It was like the feeling of needing to throw up but through tears and before she knew it she was gripping the Kalikori tears streaming as a wimper turned into a full scream as she broke down. If someone had told her she could do this in front of a total stranger she would have probably laughed and shot them. But now she couldn't stop. The tears jsut kept streaming down. The agonizing weight of her memories were so great she was having trouble breathing. Without warning Marphelo held her close to his chest and whispered to her "I'm sorry my love..." His chest was warm and strong. Her instinct was to hit him and push away. She tried all she could but he just held tighter. Finally she stopped as his grip tightened and he held her head to his chest while her tears soaked his shirt. They sat there for what seemed forever and, most likely due to the sudden rush of emotions, she began to lose consciousness. "Malana!... Malana!" he yelled holding her as her eyes rolled back. Hitting a button on the wall he yelled into an intercom "Chara! Get Bailey in here RIGHT NOW! She's going into shock!" And again she closed her eyes. As she did she had hoped it would be for the last time. The embarrassment of having revealed her feelings after all this time, and to a stranger no less, was inexcusable. Death now could be the only thing she could hope upon hope for... But for some reason the feeling went as soon as it came. along with everything else as the Geonotian ran in opening his med kit... She closed her eyes and left into a sleep she had hoped she would never return from.


	8. Chapter 8

Data Log: 8 - Tatooine (Realizations Trouble)

As she began to wake up she could only hear the humming of the ship and then came the ever so calming shake of the anti-gravitational systems working their magic. This feeling. The feeling of serenity that crossed over her was intense. She felt at last calm and relaxed. For some unknown reason she didn't remember anything within the last 2 days. Only vague memories of emotions. Not actual events. As she sat up she couldn't help but notice the amount of detail that went into this room she was in. It was all white with a shine to it as though it was slippery to the touch but was not. The blue lights the ran around the room in a strip provided a nice touch to the many lights above her bringing life to the space itself. On the wall were posters of drawings. One was a drawing of a ship she had never seen before. The ship looked like a cruiser of some kind. A triangular shaped craft with a large command post at the edge of the ship which housed two round orbs on both sides. Then as she looked to her left she noticed a desk that was quite large in size. Curiosity got the better of her, and as she checked twice to see if someone was gonna come in, she opened it to find hundreds if not thousands of small shiny cubes, each one identical to the other in color. All white. She went to grab one which was at the top of the heap alone. It was light and barely covered half her hand but suddenly it glowed and a woman appeared. "Hello there Bolty" She smiled and spoke again "We can't wait for you to come home. Please get here as fas-" before she could finish a little boy and girl popped up almost scaring Malana "Pleaseeeeeee Bolty! Come back! We miss you!" they cooed as the woman behind them shook her head smiling. "Take care okay?" She said. The boy and girl came up to the hologram and in unison said "We love you Bolty!" then the hologram froze and they were gone.  
"Feeling better?" whispered Marphelo's voice behind her. Nearly dropping the cube in excitement she yelled "The fuck are you playin at? Tryna scare to death or something!" Marphelo chuckled as he sat down with her "Get up. I wanna show you around" As he said this he grabbed the cube and began placing it back in the drawer. While inside she wanted to ask about it she realized just by the look in his eyes it wasn't something he wished to discuss. As they got up he made a waving motion and the white door slide open. Once leaving the all white room the dark and gray metallic shine greeted Malana instantly as she stepped into what appeared to be the ships meeting and lounge area. There was a large table in the middle in the shape of a sphere. There were no chairs however which at first seemed strange. As she looked to her left she saw doors. It was a circular room with doors all around it. Each one had different names written on the doors. Some were written on plaques others were simply scribbled very sloppily. All the same, the room was spacious and wasn't at all constricting. The weren't present, presumably in other quarters or in the cockpit itself. "Come with me to the front" he said using his hand to guide. Still not at full strength she allowed him to help her walk. For now it was all friendly but sooner or later she would have to find a way to either escape or kill them and take their craft. Marphelo looked at her before opening the door "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful your eyes are. Like these stones we used to have on Earth... Sapphire I believe they were called." he said as he looked right into her. She shrugged and looked away as he opened the door.  
"Well. Well. Look what we have here!" shouted Chara as she was leaning against the wall. She gave Malana a disgusted look "You sure know how to pick em don't you Orion" He cringed a bit as if shown a disgusting photo and in a whiny tone said "Chara... I told you about that. Can we please not start this again?" Malana used this opportunity to jump in "Wait... I thought you said your name was Marphelo" she said sternly. Chara started laughing "He always does that. Ashamed of who is. Where he came from. and what he is." Malana looked puzzled again. "What do you mean where he's from" She asked but before Chara could answer the Wookie walked in from another door on the side. "Woooooar arrrawaaa" it said to Chara. She put her hands up and waved them in a 'alright alright' fashion. As she sat down she muttered under her voice "I still think bringing one of her kind here was a mistake... Even if it is your wife" Instantly, everything came back to her. The fight. The passing out. The discussion. "Wait..." she said coldy as she turned to Orion "I remember now... You said the only way you would save me was if I married you right? Orion looked a little confused as she slowly inched closer lowering her eyes in a seductive way. "So..." she said in a deep erotic voice "I should thank you for that". As soon as she whispered this into his ear she pulled her right hand as far back as possible and drove her fist into his stomach. Falling to his knees and gasping for air he weakly said "Is there something wrong?" Malana noticed the Wookie walked forward as if to intervene but Chara streched out her arm and said coldly "Don't I wanna see where this goes. Who knows?... Maybe they'll finish each other off" The Wookie stepped back as Malana started gaining her composure "Yes... something *breathes* is *breathes* very wrong" she said tired but still standing firm as if to fight. Orion began to get up, slowly but surely. "Look..." he said breathing heavily. "I... Well WE need your help." he explained. "For what?" she asked. "We're bounty hunters and smugglers as well... We need someone else who can assist in some of these jobs. At times it gets very dangerous and-" "I don't work for free" interrupted Malana. "I know. I know. Believe me you will get paid well. Very well" Thinking closely Malana began piecing her options together... On the one hand she already hated the crew. On the other hand she was now shipless and artifact less and the need to generate revenue of some kind was critical. She admitted to herself that the whole 'marriage' thing was weird but it was a minor inconvenience at the moment. She'll play along until the most valuable things are acquired and then she would begin picking off the crew 1 by 1. Who knows. Perhaps their corpses were worth something after all. "Im in" she said sternly. Orion nodded and began punching in coordinates "Sooooooo... Where are we going exactly?" Malana said as she leaned over Orion's shoulder. Looking down he smiled "We're headed to the Planet Kirakastas... And the ruins of Ao Mok Sai" It was insane. Malana knew well the name itself struck terror into the very souls of those who sought treasure. The ruins of Ao Mok Sai were ancient and filled with traps and not just physical ones. The Mok people's were masters of mental manipulation. The word was that anyone who entered the ruins became an undead slave to their will who then sought the flesh and beating heart of their friends. Many went and never returned. However, the ruins were said to house a treasure so sacred and valuable that even the Imperial's were on the search for it. "Well lets get set then, I guess I better show you our room" he said enthusiastically. Rolling her eyes Malana walked with him back into the large circular room. As they walked she said "If you try anything i'm ripping out your vocal chords with my bear hands." He turned back and smiled "If you could do that i'd probably let you" "Here" he said holding out a gold card. "This is your key to the room"  
Nodding she pocketed the key. As Orion approached the door is opened and she stepped into what could possibly be the most beautiful in-ship room she'd ever set eyes on. It was a large room. Much larger than the white one she had been in and it was designed too look like they were outside complete with a night sky and fire pit. There were two beds. One on either side of the room. They were made of dark wood and appeared to be hand carved. It was clear that wherever Orion was from had a great deal of wildlife. "It's... nice" she said quietly. Orion proceeded to walk to the fire pit and set it ablaze. He then sat down in front of it's flame and began what appeared to be meditating. "Your bed is on that side love" he said pointing with his left hand to the elaborate wooden one. "Where's yours?" she asked. He laughed and pointed to a small net looking structure strung up on either side of two trees. Things couldn't get any stranger and she just had to ask "Are all of your rooms different like this?" Orion broke his meditation "Yes they are. Each one is designed and specified to be not just living quarters but places of concentration where each of us feel comfortable and can work at our fullest" She walked to her bed and laid down "It'll be a little while until we get there. But be warned... This isn't going to be easy" he said in a cautious voice. "Whatever" was her response as she laid down and began thinking... This place is like Ryloth yet, not quite the same. There was an eerie presence here that wasn't in the other room. As if it was something there that was ancient. Grabbing her blasters that were neatly placed on the bed she began cleaning them. This mission could be dangerous but if all went well she could use the temple and ruins to her advantage. If she played her cards right the ruins would get rid of the crew for her. Scheming she began shining her blasters. Smiling at her reflection she was totally unaware of the horror, evil, and terror the ruins would bring...


End file.
